MOSCOW – Delhi has been irked with Moscow when Russia’s envoy to India onMonday defended his country’s burgeoning relationship with Pakistan,calling for a “realistic” approach to regional security and stability andsaying Islamabad’s “credibility” in the war on terror had increased.
Ambassador Nikolay Kudashev’s remarks at an event organised by the thinktank Ananta Aspen Centre, come against the backdrop of growing pressurefrom the West, especially the US, on Pakistan to crack down on terroristsoperating from its soil and to curb widespread terror financing, HindustanTimes has reported.
“In my take…after this country joined the Shanghai CooperationOrganisation, after this country started to take serious measures to curbthe financing of terror, the credibility of Pakistan is growing and thereis no reason, no sense to deny its wish, its will to be a part of regionaland global efforts to fight terror, to search for stability and to enhanceeconomic integration,” he said during the question and answer session.
Earlier in his speech, Kudashev said Russia is “open for contacts withevery country” to ensure regional stability. Without naming Pakistan or theUS, he also said “excessive pressure” on any of Afghanistan’s neighbourswould “just antagonise them and make numerous problems even morecomplicated”.
“The problems of Afghanistan are impossible to resolve without taking onboard every neighbouring country,” he said.
“There should be a realistic and comprehensive approach to the issues ofcommon interest rather than a geopolitical one.
We are open to contacts with every country, especially if it would help toensure the regional stability, which, on the other hand, also remainslargely dependent on constructive relationship between New Delhi andIslamabad,” he added.